Method of smelting and converting ores.



PATBNTED NOV. 28, 1905. v R. 'BAGGALEY. METHOD OF'SMELTING AND CONVERTING ORBS.

APPLICATION FILED OOTJII, 1904. RENEWED OUT. 13, 19M.

WITNESSES rrNrTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed. October 11, 1904. Renewed October 13, 1905. Serial No. 282,677.

. To' all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RALPH BA'GGALEY, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Method'of smelting and Converting Ores, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, which shows in vertical cross-section a converter suitable for the practice of my invention.

The object of my invention is tosmelt and convert ores, particularly copper, gold, and silver bearing ores, in a manner which is an improvement upon the process described in Patent N o. 7 66,654, issued to Ralph Baggaley and Charles M. Allen on August 2, 1904:.

In the patent just referred to the preferred procedure consisted in melting a primary bath of low-grade sulfid ores to the extent of approximately the holding capacity of the converter and thereafter feeding into such molten bath silicious mineral-bearing raw ores in. relatively small proportions to the volume of such molten baththat is to say, in amount less than the volume of such molten bathin order that the raw ores might be dissolved partly bythe heat of the molten bath and partly by the intense heat produced by the oxidizable elements and compounds contained in the molten bath through the action of the heavy metal blocks in order that the heat produced by the process shall be absorbed and conserved by such blocks insteadvof being rapidly'carried away and wasted, as must be the case where water-jackets of any kind are utilized. g

((1) The placing within this converter of a relatively large proportion of raw mineral bearing ores-say ina total of thirty tons of ore under treatment twenty-five or twentyseven tons to be in the raw state.

(D.) The cementing of this body 3 of raw tively high in fuel values.

ore into position opposite the twyers 4, as shown in the drawing, by means of a layer of molten matte or slag.

(E) Placing thereafter into such converter a relatively small proportion of sulfid ores high in fuel valuessay in a total of thirty tons of ore under treatment three tons or five tons to be thus placed in the converter in the molten state or sufficient to cover the converting-twyers and to provide the requisiteliquid matte. with which through the action of the converting blast intense heat may be generated, whereby the twenty-seven tons of raw ore may thus be quickly melted down practically without the use of carbonaceous fuel, and such mineral-bearingraw ores thereafter to constitute a part of the molten bath in the converter. After all of the raw ores have thus been melted down practically without carbonaceous fuel in the manner described the converting process is thereafter continued in the usual wayuntil the molten bath is thereby reduced to blister-copper and poured from the converter into molds.

3 After the raw ore has been reduced to the molten condition as described other ores in the raw state may be from time to time added at will and dissolved by the heat of the molten bath or of the converting process. Such additions of raw ore will thereafter be dissolved and constitute a part of the molten bath. In this manner the process may be almost indefinitely continued, at least up the point where the holding capacity of the converter in white metal (c'. a, seventy-six per cent. matte) has been reached, or the heat of the molten bath may be augmented at will by the simple addition of ores in the raw state that are rela- Should an excess of iron exist in the molten bath, this may be readily fluxed by the addition of ores whose distinctive feature is high in silica, or, indeed, by the addition of practically pure silica without associated mineral values, if desired. In the same manner lime or other flux in the raw :state may be added to the molten bath at will.

Through this method of treating ores their mineral contents may readily be recovered without any of the losses incident to water concentration and to calcination and practically without the use of carbonaceous fuel, since in treating, say, a total of thirty tons of ore carbonaceous fuel would only be utilized in melting the first three tons with which the process is started, and then after the twentyseven tons of raw ore had thus been melted almost indefinite additions of raw ore may be added in continuing the melting process entirely without the use of carbonaceous fuel.

The heavy consumption of coke or other carbonaceous fuel in smelting copper ores is usually not due to the mere fusion of the ore proper. It is due to the fact that calcination and consequently the enrichment of the ore before actual fusion is forced to the utmost limit within the blastfurnace. The mere melting of sulfid ores in a blast-furnace with out any attempt at calcination or enrichment may easily be accomplished through the combustion of from one to two per cent. of carbonaceous fuel, providing an adequate smelting blast is provided.

In practicing this art it is my desire to avoid enrichment of the sulfid ore during the operation of melting it, because any enrichment necssarily reduces the fuel elements contained'in the sulfid ores after fusion, which it is my desire to utilize thereafter in eflective work in melting raw mineral-bearing ores in the converter.

Doubtless many variations or modifications in the details of this process will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, since W hat I claim is 1. The method of smelting and converting ores, which consists in placing in a vessel a relatively large mass of raw ore, and adding a relatively small proportion of molten matte high in fuel values. and subjecting the matte to an air-blast; substantially as described.

2. The method of smelting and converting ores, which consists in placing in a vessel a relatively large mass of raw ore, sealing it in position, and adding a relatively small proportion of molten matte high in fuel values, and subjecting the matte to an air-blast; substantially as described.

3. The method of smelting and converting ores, which consists in placing in a vessel a relatively large mass of raw ore, sealing it in position opposite to the twyers and adding a relatively small proportion of molten matte high in fuel values, and subjecting the matte to an air-blast; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RALPH BAGGALEY.

Witnesses:

H. M. (JoRwIN, JOHN MILLER. 

